LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — England midfielder Jack Grelish is aiming to rekindle his career after joining Everton on an in-season loan agreement from Manchester City on Tuesday.
Grelish, 29 years old English soccer poster one of the boyswho moved from Aston Villa to City in 2021 at £100 million (at that time $139 million) and became the country’s most expensive player. He was a regular pick in the city’s historic 2022-23 season, where the team won the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup.
However, Grelish has lost favour over the past two seasons, not even building a City team for the recent Club World Cup, and has chosen to move to Everton for the season ahead of the 2026 World Cup in North America.
“I’m over the month I signed Everton. I’m honestly going to be a big deal for me.” Grealish said Since 1995, teams without major trophies. “This is a great club with great fans.”
The loan switch removes not only high-operators from the city’s wage bill, but also one of the many offensive midfielders built on the city’s stacked teams.
Grelish often had a free roaming role when making his name in the villa, but had to be more disciplined and restricted as the left-hand front in the play system of mayor Pep Guardiola.
Everton manager David Moyes will once again try to make the most of Grealish in the team’s first match of the Premier League season in Leeds on Monday. Brumley Mood’s first game at home at Everton’s new 53,000-seat waterfront home will face Brighton a week later.
“I spoke to my manager and I knew as soon as I could there was only one place I wanted to go,” Grealish said.
Grealish has traded for one title contending team this season, which is expected to be at most mid-table.
“It was a very strange decision for him, but you can see why: he wants to be on the national team,” former England International Steve McManaman said at an ESPN press conference in New York.
Number 18
Grealish spoke to former Everton player Wayne Rooney before he agreed to the move and said he would wear the same number (18) behind his jersey.
“There were other numbers, but my two favorite English players are Wayne Rooney and Paul Gascoin.
“So as soon as I learned that this deal was approaching, I looked and number 18 was free, so it was perfect for me, and that was the only number I was trying to take from that point on.”
___
AP Soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
